Hello List,

In Boericke's MM - at the end of the chapter of IBERIS, I find that the dosage that he gives is: MT and "First potency".

My question is:

What does he mean "first potency" - is it decimal (1x) or centesimal (1c)?

TIA

Rafy

At the time Wm. Boericke wrote the MM (1900), there were TWO Pharmacopoeia in the USA. One was used by Pharmacists and published by Boericke and Tafel. The other was just getting started and was based ion the British Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia. It was advocated by the American Institute of Homeopathy-- the Medical organization.

The first one adopted the manner of classifying drugs as Hahnemann had. There were several ways of making tincture-- all dependent upon the "juiciness" of the plant. The second one advocated making the tincture a standard measure of drug strength, independent of the qualities of the plant. Eventually, the AIH prevailed, and THAT is the standard of the HPUS we have today-- where the tincture is 1/10th drug strength, or the equal of a 1X potency.

This was NOT the case for Boericke who followed the other Pharmacopoeia-- where there was a tincture made and THEN 1 part to 9 alcohol led to a 1X.

That is why in Boercke's book you see notations for tincture AND first potency (1X) side by side. Boericke rarely used centesimal potencies, and when he did, he called them out quite specifically.

Long time ago my girl friend at the time was reading Iberis in Boericke and decided that she needed it. She had experienced the palpatations in the night in the detail Boericke describes. She had about three attacks a year for the last four years. Her doc was baffled and could find nothing wrong. So I got her a bottle of Mother Tincture Iberis. Next attack she took two drops straight on her tongue. Gaaaa! Strong alcohol and BITTER taste! The attack ceased shortly. She never had another one.

A great Iberis amara cure.

JW

Dear Julian,

Thank you very much.

Rafy